Pneumatic material placement apparatus



sept. 3, 196s F, A, MORE 3,399,609

PNEUMATIC MATERIAL PLACEHENT APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26. 1967 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 @@wllllllll fwmllilllll )42 am ,4. Maaef ATTORJVEY Sept 3, 196s F. A. MOORE 3,399,609

PNEUMATIC MATERIAL PLACEMENT APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26, 1967 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. 25H0@ A M0025 ATTRNEY States Patent Of ice 3,399,609 Patented Sept. 3, 1968 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for the pneumatic material placement of road repair asphalting cements in which a pneumatic hose is used to squirt the patching and sealing materials in the holes, cracks and the like to be filled and repaired in a road surface. The apparatus and pneumatic placement of the material by the apparatus provides a means for completely finishing the surface of the patch without additional raking, leveling or tamping being required.

Background of the invention (1) The field of this invention lies in the construction apparatus and is particularly directed to a machine for the pneumatic placement of material by use of a hose and nozzle connected thereto.

(2) Heretofore, in the patching of street and road surfaces as when using cold mix black top and the like, it was customary to throw the material into the holes to be filled by means of a shovel and then to rake the material level by eye and guess work and then to finally tamp the material home, Usually, the material placed in this manner was left above the original road surface so that an actual bump would result because the material did not settle as planned and because it was not possible to easily place the material in level condition. This has then resulted in an additional depression at the other side of the over-filled bump of the hole which again caused further defects, waviness and imperfections in the original road surface. The process was also slow, cumbersome and a great deal of hand labor being required to do this former method of patching. The former method also was slow and caused a messy condition on the road surface because it could not be accurately placed in the hole and was over-raked or spread about on the surrounding original surface being patched.

Summary of the invention It is a basic object of this invention to distribute the cold mix black top patching material pneumatically through a hose into the hole, crack or depressions or other imperfections of the road surface to be repaired.

Another object is to provide a means for accurately controlling the distribution of the patching material into the areas to be repaved with accuracy, speed and a minimum of labor being required.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pneumatic material placement apparatus which fluffs and progressively pneumatically blows the patching material into a compacted solid noncompressible mass in the hole to be patched in the road so that further settling of the material does not have to be accounted for and the nished surface thereof is exactly in alignment with the finished surface of the road surface being patched.

It is also an object to pneumatically apply patching material for an asphalt road and the like which can be controlled accurately and maintained within the exact areas to be patched and avoid spreading and distribution of the materials on the good finished surface of the road not needing such material.

And a still further object of this invention is to provide a very rapid means with a minimum of effort and labor being required and skill upon the part of the operator to apply asphalt and patching material to road surfaces.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a pneumatic material placement apparatus incorporating the features of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 5- -5 of FIG. 4 particularly showing the air feed-back arrangement.

Description of the preferred embodiment As an example of a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown a pneumatic material placement apparatus comprising a frame consisting of a pair of horizontal laterally spaced side rails 11 suitably rigidly connected together by tie pieces 12. Laterally disposed sprocket shafts 13 and 14 are journaled on suitable bearings 15 at each end of the side rails 11. An intermediate shaft 16 is suitably journaled on the side rails 11 has a sprocket 17 fixed thereto over which operates the chain 18 in turn operating over a sprocket 19 fixed to the shaft 14. On the other end of the intermediate shaft 16 is fixed the pulley 20 over which operates the belt 21 in turn operating over a pulley 22 on the output shaft 23 of a suitable source of power such as an internal combustion engine 24 mounted on the frame 10 of the machine.

An endless feed chain 25 is operatively carried on the sprocket wheels 2'6 fixed on the sprocket shafts 13 and 14. Fixed to the links of the feed chain are a series of longitudinally spaced piston discs 27 each having resilient outer peripheries 28 which slide sealingly through the bore 29 of a feeding cylinder 30 extending longitudinally and fixed to the frame 10. A feed hopper 31 having a laterally disposed screw conveyor 32 in the bottom thereof is mounted on the frame 10 by a suitable bracket 33. The drive shaft 34 of the screw conveyor 32 has its outer end provided with a drive sprocket 35 over which operates the drive chain 36 in turn operating over a sprocket 37 fixed to the intermediate shaft 16. The screw conveyor 32 discharges through a passageway 38 communicating downwardly between the bore 39 of the screw conveyor and the bore 29 of the feed cylinder 10. An access and viewing window 40 may be provided in the top discharge end of the screw conveyor tube 41.

A discharge outlet 42 is provided in the bottom of the feed cylinder longitudinally removed in the direction of chain travel to which is connected a portable distributing hose 43 of suitable type for placement of the material on the road surface to be treated. Formed in the feed cylinder 30 directly diametrically above the discharge outlet 42 in the compressed air supply port 44 connected by a suitable pipe line 45 to an appropriate source of air pressure controlled by a shut-off and regulating and control valve 46.

A compressed air conserving device may be utilized in conjunction with the above described machine arrangement comprising an inlet port 47 and an outlet port 48 communicating with the bore 29 of the feed cylinder 30 located each side of the discharge outlet 42 and the compressed air supply port 44 and interconnected by a suitable pipeline 49.

In operation: With the engine-24 operating to drive the endless feed chain 25 and the screw conveyor 32 and compressed air being supplied to the compressed air supply port 44 material 51 in the holler 31 is discharged into the spaces v'50 between the pistons 27 on the feed 3 chain 25 Iwhich convey the material 51 through the bore 29 of the feed cylinder -30 until it comes under the ,com-k pressed air supply port 44 and above the material discharge outlet port 42 Iwhereupon the material is driven laterally from the space -between the pistons out through the manipulatable discharge hose for placement on the road surface. When a space 50 between a pair of pistons 27 containing compressed air from the air supply port 44 passes from the influence of that air supply port it then is in communication with the inlet port 47 which conveys trapped compressed air in that space through the line 49 and port 48 into a space 50 partially lled with material to partially pre-pressurize that space before it arrives under the compressed air supply port 44 to thus conserve full air pressure which would otherwise escape to atmosphere as the feed chain 25 and pistons 27 leave the end of the feed cylinder 30. g

While the apparatus herein disclosed and described constitutes a prefered form of the invention, it is also to be understood that the apparatus is capable of mechanical alteration without departing from the spirit of the invention and that such mechanical arrangement and commercial adaption as fall within the scope of the appendent claims are intended to be included herein.

l claim:

1. A pneumatic material placement apparatus comprising in combination:

(A) a frame,

(B) a feed cylinder vfixed on said frame having a longitudinally extending bore therein,

(C) an endless feed chain operatively supported on v said frame having one portion moving longitudinally axially of the bore of said feed cylinder,

(D) a series of longitudinally spaced pistons mounted on said chain arranged to be moved through said bore of said feed cylinder Iby the operation of said chain,

(E) a material supply device on said frame including a discharge pasag'eway in communication with the bore of Said feed cylinder for charging the space beaasaaoa y i 4 tween said pistons within said cylinder Iwith the material to be applied,

(F) a discharge outlet for placement of the material on the work to be treated in the side of said cylinder longitudinally spaced from said discharge passageway of the material supply device in the direction of feed chain travel,

(G) and a compressed air supply port in said feed cylinder aligned with said material discharge outlet of said feed cylinder for pneumaticallyfremoviing material from between a pair of pistons and delivering the same out through said discharge outlet to the work to be treated.

2. In a pneumatic material placement apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein means is provided on said frame for` simultaneously actuating said feed chain and material supply device and providing a supply of compressed air to said compressed air supply port during the operation of the machine.

3. In a pneumatic material placement apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein ports are provided in the sideof 4said feed cylinder each side of said compressed air supply port interconnected 'by an external air pipeline to allow air from a material evacuated space between a pair of'spaced pistons having just passed said compressed air supply port to be fed yback to pre-charge material -lled spaced about to pass under the inuence of said compressed air supply port.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,267,978 12/1941 Ionides 94-40 2,960,208 11/1960 Sibley 94-44 X 3,016,809 1/1962 McNeill 2 94-44 x 3,206,174 9/1965 Young 94-46 X 3,217,620 11/1965 Mindrum 94-39 3,241,976 3/1966 Rank 94-44 3,270,632 9/1966 schunz 94-39 X NILE'C. BYERS, JR.,4Prmary Examiner. 

